Method and system for fluid mediated disk activation and deactivation

• US 8,089,839 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Invention Science Fund I, L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Ferren, Bran, Goodall, Eleanor V., Jung, Edward K. Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Agustin, Peter Vincent
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chu, Kim
• Application Number:
  US12/004,639
• Publication Number:
  US 20080159109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,474 Days
• Field of Search: 369/286, 369/52.1, 369/275.3, 369/53.21, 369/44.38, 711/164, 711/36
• US Class Current: 369/53.21
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/0021 involving encryption or decryption of contents recorded on or reproduced from a record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00253 wherein the key is stored on the record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/0035 means incorporated in the disc, e.g. hub, to enable its guiding, loading or driving means for driving the head G11B21/06; guiding the disc for centering or locking G11B17/022; turntables or spindles for driving G11B19/2009
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 23/282 Limited play
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/36 Monitoring, i.e. supervising the progress of recording or reproducing for digital recording G11B20/00 and s.gr.; for monitoring, testing or measuring of TV recorders of the type covered by H04N5/76 and subgroups, see H04N17/06

Abstract

Embodiments of methods and systems for controlling access to information stored on memory or data storage devices are disclosed. In various embodiments, fluid-mediated modification of information or access to information is utilized. According to various embodiments, data storage devices designed for rotating access are described which include rotation-activated fluid control mechanisms.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a system bus;

an input device;

an output device;

a drive capable of reading data from a substrate configured for rotating access; and

instructions stored in one or more of software, hardware or firmware for controlling said drive to produce rotation of the substrate of sufficient intensity and duration for the purpose of activating a rotation activatable fluid release mechanism of the substrate to render at least a portion of machine readable data stored on the substrate inaccessible or unusable,

wherein said instructions include instructions for controlling said drive to produce rotation of the substrate at a speed higher than the normal read speed for said drive to produce activation of the rotation activatable fluid release mechanism.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said instructions include instructions for controlling said drive to produce rotation of the substrate sufficient to produce centrifugal activation of the rotation activatable fluid mechanism.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said instructions include instructions for controlling said drive to control an angular acceleration of the substrate.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said instructions include instructions for controlling said drive to produce rotation of the substrate sufficient to produce activation of a pressure-sensitive fluid barrier.

5. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said instructions include instructions for controlling said drive to produce rotation of the substrate to activate the rotation activatable fluid release mechanism prior to reading data from the substrate.

6. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said instructions include instructions for controlling said drive to produce rotation of the substrate to activate the rotation activatable fluid release mechanism subsequent to reading data from the substrate.

7. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said instructions include instructions for controlling said drive to produce rotation of the substrate to activate the rotation activatable fluid release mechanism simultaneous with reading data from the substrate.

8. The computer system of claim 1, including instructions stored in one or more of software, hardware or firmware for controlling said drive to detect previous activation of the rotation activatable fluid release mechanism prior to reading data from the substrate.

9. The computer system of claim 8, including instructions stored in one or more of software, hardware or firmware for controlling said drive to read data from the substrate if no previous activation of the rotation activatable fluid release mechanism is detected.

10. The computer system of claim 8, including instructions stored in one or more of software, hardware or firmware for controlling said drive to read data from the substrate if no more than a selected number of previous activations of the rotation activatable fluid release mechanism are detected.

11. The computer system of claim 1, wherein said drive includes a detector capable of sensing an outcome of activation of the rotation activatable fluid release mechanism.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein said drive includes a read head configured to function as said detector.

13. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

an input device;

an output device;

a drive capable of reading data from a substrate configured for rotating access; and

instructions stored in one or more of software, hardware or firmware for controlling said drive to produce rotation of the substrate of sufficient intensity and duration for the purpose of activating a rotation activatable fluid release mechanism of the substrate to render at least a portion of machine readable data stored on the substrate inaccessible or unusable,

wherein said instructions include instructions for controlling said drive to produce rotation of the substrate at a speed higher than the normal read speed for said drive to produce activation of the rotation activatable fluid release mechanism.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein said instructions include instructions for controlling said drive to control an angular acceleration of the substrate.

15. The computer system of claim 13, wherein said instructions include instructions for controlling said drive to produce rotation of the substrate to activate the rotation activatable fluid release mechanism prior to reading data from the substrate.

16. The computer system of claim 13, wherein said instructions include instructions for controlling said drive to produce rotation of the substrate to activate the rotation activatable fluid release mechanism subsequent to reading data from the substrate.

17. The computer system of claim 13, wherein said instructions include instructions for controlling said drive to produce rotation of the substrate to activate the rotation activatable fluid release mechanism simultaneous with reading data from the substrate.

18. The computer system of claim 13, including instructions stored in one or more of software, hardware or firmware for controlling said drive to detect previous activation of the rotation activatable fluid release mechanism prior to reading data from the substrate.